


In Due Time

by afewmistakesago



Series: Pizza Man Gold [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, The Pizza Man, fluffy fluff, the one where neal finds out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4996423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewmistakesago/pseuds/afewmistakesago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A follow up to Snowed In! A few people wanted to know how Neal found out about his father's girlfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Due Time

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to see any other part of this verse (24/7 fluff), my tumblr is earthoranyrealm to submit prompts to. :)

Something was wrong with his Papa. Neal had assumed when his father rejected his offer to see a movie on the previous Sunday that perhaps he was having a bad day.  When they'd met one Wednesday for lunch, his father seemed distracted, in his own world. He was normally very focused, and it worried Neal. He seemed happy, granted, but still. Strange.  This week, he'd called his father with the idea of going downtown to see a baseball game on Sunday night, which was, again, politely declined.

 

When he asked his father - who typically loved baseball games - why he didn't want to go, he was quiet for a moment, then said he had to be at the pizzeria.

 

"Are they over-working you, papa?" Neal had asked, feeling concerned. His father had really only picked up delivery pizzas as a side job. He had told his dad he was too smart to sit around his house and stare at his collectible antiques. When Henry was born, his father had cut back his hours at the law firm to put his focus on family, but that didn't mean he couldn't get out of his house (and Neal's house) every now and then.

 

"No, son, it's fine," his father insisted, ending the phone call abruptly soon after that.

 

He'd told Emma something felt strange about the conversation when he hung up. She continued folding Henry's onesies, offering him a shrug. "Did we forget something, maybe? It's not his birthday for a few months. He doesn't have a reason to be mad at us," she said. "I'm sure he'll get over whatever it is soon."

 

She'd kissed his cheek and told him to go to sleep, but the next morning, Neal had a plan ready.

 

"You're going to stalk your dad?" Emma asked, seemingly unimpressed as she bounced Henry on her hip.

 

"I just want to make sure he's not overworking himself," Neal said. "I also think he might be up to something."

  
  


Emma rolled her eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Could you pick up dinner from the pizzeria tonight, then?" she asked with a smile.

 

That night, Neal parked a good distance away from the entrance of the small restaurant, seeing his father's car parked a bit away. That at least confirmed he hadn't lied about being at work.

 

He entered, giving a smile to the hostess and saying he was picking up an order. It wasn't technically a lie. Emma had called and ordered a pizza, and now he would go meet up with his father, who didn't know they were meeting up.

 

The pizzeria was fairly busy, with most of the booths and tables occupied. The back of the restaurant was a long bar, and he could see a few scattered people drinking.

 

He paid the girl at the to-go counter, who told him his food would be ready in a few minutes. Neal had arrived early on purpose to scout his father out. Walking around the dining room casually, he didn't see his father at any of the employee's service stations. He headed towards the bar, making it seem like he was going to sit at the last empty booth.

 

Something caught his eye - his father’s distinctive laugh. Neal suddenly saw him - about halfway down the bar, laughing at something a girl - a woman - had said. His papa wasn't in his usual lawyer suit, but jeans and sports sweatshirt Neal had bought for him for Christmas one year. The woman with him was facing him, her chair angled to where Neal could see her face. She had long, dark curly hair and she was pretty, with rosy cheeks and a smiling face. The woman was in a brightly colored dress, and she was leaning into hear what her father had to say.

 

Was this - was this a date? Was his father dating someone? "No," Neal thought, "he would've told me."

 

Neal watched them for a moment, convincing himself his father was just waiting on a delivery order. A moment later, he watched a harried looking teenage boy leave with a delivery bag. His Papa was definitely off-duty. The woman he was next to was sipping from a wine glass, smiling brilliantly when the bartender refilled her drink. His dad was drinking a beer, and it looked like they were sharing some kind of appetizer. Okay, so they definitely knew each other.

 

They were probably just friends. Just friends who were now holding hands at a bar.

 

The bartender caught Neal's eye, an older man with fading red hair. Archie looked down the bar at his satisfied customers before heading Neal's way.

 

"Neal," Archie said, shaking his hand, "Haven't seen you here in awhile."

 

Neal shook his head. "It's not easy to sit at a bar with a wife and a baby," he said with a small smile, "but I've got no complaints."

 

"What are you doing here, then?" Archie asked. Archie had been a bartender at almost every restaurant in Storybrooke, known for sharing advice with anyone who needed it, or simply offering a listening ear. If he had gone to college, Neal was sure the man would've been a therapist.

 

"Pick up order," Neal explained, but he motioned towards his father. "How long has he-"

 

Archie got his meaning. "Your dad? With Belle? About a month. They come in every Sunday together. She's a great girl, I think Gold's really happy."

 

His father was known as Gold to just about everyone, except to Neal. He was Neal's papa, but even Emma called him Gold. Gold must've just said something particularly entertaining, because his thoughts were broken up by this "Belle" saying "Alexander!" in a scolding tone,  but her expression was one of amusement. It seemed Neal's father was letting this woman use his first name.

 

"Seems like it," Neal replied.

 

They both turned to look at his father and the woman, seeing the mysterious woman reach her hand to her father's cheek and lean in to kiss him. Neal looked away, feeling like he was intruding on something private. They were out in public, for god's sake, but his dad definitely didn’t know his son was watching him. It was strange to see him look so easygoing. This Belle must be bringing out some lighthearted side in him. 

 

"You haven't met Belle?" Archie asked, looking curious.

 

Neal was confused as to why his father would hide something from him. His expression must've shown his puzzlement. "Maybe it's just because it's so new," Archie said. "He'll tell you when he's ready."

 

"I guess," Neal said, slightly dejected.

 

"When was the last time he dated someone?" Archie asked, and Neal felt like he was about to get some advice handed to him.

 

"A few years ago," Neal said, thinking back in his memory. "That terrible Cora woman."

 

"Right. And what did you and Emma do?"

 

"Chased her off..." Neal said. "But she did deserve it!"

 

Archie gave him a "really?" look. "That may be, but he's probably nervous about introducing her. You might be... Overwhelming."

 

"I guess I can see why he'd wait to introduce us to his girlfriend," Neal finally admitted. "I just hate being in the dark."

 

"All in due time," Archie said. "I expect they'll last for a while."

 

Archie had said the same thing about him and Emma when they first started dating, so Neal had a hunch he should trust the wise man. The girl from the counter brought him the pizza Emma had ordered, and he gave Archie a nod. "Until next time," Neal said, ready to get home. He'd done enough snooping for the day.

 

"Are you going to say hi to your dad?" Archie asked, and Neal shook his head.

 

"Nah," Neal said, seeing his dad clink his glass in a toast with Belle, "I don't want to interrupt his date."

 

-

 

When the pizza was devoured and Henry was asleep, Emma and Neal turned on a movie. "Y'know how I said I thought my dad was doing something without telling us?" Neal said.

 

"Mmhmm," Emma replied, eyes still focused on the screen.

 

"Turns out he's just _doing someone_ without telling us," Neal dead-panned.

 

-

 

The next Saturday, his father called Neal. "Do you want to come over on Sunday? For dinner?" His father sounded more cautious than normal.

 

"Sure, papa," Neal replied.

 

"There's someone - someone I want you to meet," his papa said.

 

 


End file.
